Due to human activities ~60% of the world´s primate species (n = 504) are now threatened with extinction and ~75% have declining populations. Major anthropogenic pressures on primate populations include the cutting of forests for industrial agriculture and pastures, logging, mining, roads, and fossil fuel extraction. Habitat conversion is driven principally by global market demands from a small number of consumer nations resulting in extensive environmental degradation in primate habitat countries. Here we evaluate the impact of forest-risk agricultural commodities (soybeans, oil palm, natural rubber and beef) and nonagricultural commodities (forestry products, fossil fuels, metals, and gemstones) on primate persistence in the Neotropics, Africa, South Asia and Southeast Asia. We found that between 2001 and 2017, commodity driven deforestation accounted for the accumulated loss of 178.2 Mha of forest, with just two importer countries, the U.S. and China, purchasing 58% ($US 275bn) of the resulting commodities. Given that primate range countries continue to lag far behind importer nations in food security, income equality, and gross domestic product per capita, trade and commodity driven land-use has done little to generate wealth and well-being for the majority of people residing in primate habitat countries. We advocate that consumer nations prioritize the ‘greening’ of trade as an essential measure to alleviate poverty, ensure food security, mitigate climate change, promote biodiversity, and guarantee the survivorship of the world’s primates.